


How do we play water-polo with three people?

by mforpaul



Category: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - All Media Types, Trouble in the Heights (2011)
Genre: Comfort, Day At The Beach, Domestic, Established Relationship, Family Fluff, Kid Fic, Light Angst, M/M, Nevactacus Valentine's Exchange 2021, On the Run
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 21:42:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29267436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mforpaul/pseuds/mforpaul
Summary: Caractacus, Nevada and the kids spend a day at the beach on a lonely island which is their refuge. Nevada goes through several issue and Caractacus is very supportive of him.
Relationships: Caractacus Potts/Nevada Ramirez
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12
Collections: Valentine's Day 2021 exchange





	How do we play water-polo with three people?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BensonsFaerieWings](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BensonsFaerieWings/gifts).



> To my giftee: Happy Valentine's Day for you. Thank you for the prompt, I hope you like your gift. It's my first time writing for this wonderful ship and this is entirely based on how Anni writes these two. I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it!
> 
> Thanks to Anni for beta reading and organizing this wonderful exchange!

Nevada thinks this is a bad idea.

Even more than this, he's pissed that he was talked into this. Because he _knows_ that this is a bad idea, if only for it being an unnecessary risk to take when they have so much to lose and it isn't like him to be careless. Especially not now that he has people he cares about.

Nevada looks sideways to admire the view. They're driving along a very thin road that snakes its way through seemingly endless dunes. There's only sea on the horizon and nothing but sun in the sky. The color of the water is that kind of turquoise that you only see on TV. It wasn't until they came here that Nevada learned that this color exists for real.

Not even a whiff of a breeze lies in the air. No blade of grass sways, there are no waves in the ocean. The air stands still. Nevada finds this somewhat eerie as it doesn't fit the picture. There's an ocean, they're on an island. Why is there no wind?

Under different circumstances this would make him suspicious, but Nevada tries to shut that worry down before it can dwell. Not even his worst enemy is able to change the actual weather in order to get him. Also, he'd probably not be worth all the fuss. Maybe he's been on the run for too long.

Maybe _they've_ been on the run for too long.

This is how Caractacus has convinced him to agree to this madness of an idea at last. Nevada had been against it and still is. His gut feeling just tells him not to do anything stupid. It's better to be too careful than to be too careless. But apparently, Caractacus and these kiddos who sit in the backseat manage to make him do anything they want.

"She just turned into a hovercraft and flew us over the traffic jam," Jeremy laughs.

"Luckily, there are no traffic jams here, right?" Caractacus says with a voice full of joy.

Distantly Nevada hears them all laugh. As they approach the beach, his eyes scan the environment. There's not much to see. Except beauty of course.

The beach area itself is open, very overseeable. At least there's not really a way that someone could sneak up on them. Which, on the other hand, also means that they also couldn't secretly sneak away in case of danger. But in that case, luckily, they have the car. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang that helped them escape in the first place.

"Nevada, are you even listening?" Jemima asks.

"Yes, mija, I do."

"Why don't you say something then?"

"Because I heard that story approximately one hundred times."

All of a sudden, Nevada feels a quick pain stinging in his upper arm.

Startled, he turns his head to the left.

All he sees there is Caractacus behind the wheel, shooting him a deprecating stare. It was Caractacus who has hit him with his pointy elbow.

"What?" Nevada mouths to him.

After he shrugs his shoulders coolly, Nevada turns away quickly. He would never admit how deadly frightened he got and is therefore eager to not show Caractacus more of his expression.

Instead, he faces the front of him. There are not many people around. They mostly look like locals. Only a handful of people live on this island anyway. Okay, that's exaggerated. It's more than a handful, but this island is still thousands of miles away from the next continent, so that only few tourists or strangers ever find their way here.

That is the strategy anyways; if someone came here to get him, a feuding drug lord, the feds, whoever, they'd immediately learn about their arrival and run.

Nevada suddenly feels a warm hand on his. He looks up to Caractacus sending him a warm smile. Nevada hadn't realized that he was sitting on the edge of his seat with his hands clenched up in a fist.

"Don't worry," Caractacus mouths to him.

Because he wants to agree, Nevada nods and Caractacus parks the car under a palm tree towards the end of the beach. Of course, they don't put much distance between themselves and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Except themselves, this car is all they have.

The children laugh when they walk down a small path towards the water through the white sand, the very white sand. This is another color that Nevada thought only to exist on television.

Admittedly, it is a sin that they didn't come here before. Not going to the beach is basically no option here on this island state the world has forgotten about. And that was another argument, Caractacus used. It'd be suspicious if they don't visit the beach.

But they needed to keep a low profile. Even Chitty Chitty Bang Bang has changed into a less noticeable version of herself, looking more like an old school cabriolet. They don't want to blow up their cover when they've come so far. They've been living here for over three months, it starts to feel safe. It starts to feel like home.

Nevada feels Caractacus' hand on the small of his back. They look at each other and smile. Together with the warmth spreading in his belly comes that awkward feeling in the pit of his stomach, his gut feeling that this is a mistake. That it is too much of a risk to come to such a public place.

Nevada smiles all the same. _Trust me a little_ , Caractacus tells him over and over. He doesn't know how trust will help him to not get caught, but Nevada tries.

The children chatter in high pitched voices and about five seconds later, they run into the water. The ocean that was so smooth just a minute ago now hosts a feast of splashing water for the twins.

"Oh my gosh, it's really warm!"

"Look, how I'm gonna cannonball!"

Nevada watches them for a few moments, pleased. At least them having a blast is worth it.

"Should I stay back?"

Nevada looks back to Caractacus. He has stripped down to orange swimming trunks waiting to follow the twins with what Nevada fears will be equally infantile joy.

"No, you go ahead."

"I don't think someone will steal here."

"You can't leave your precious belongings behind."

Nevada had managed to talk Caractacus out of bringing several modified inflatables, floaties and flippers ( _"We can't draw attention!"_ ), but still he had to bring a couple of inventions that are indispensable for their picnic.

"It's okay, you know, I can always invent new stuff."

Caractacus winks with a mischievous smirk on his face and Nevada is even more appalled by the idea that Caractacus apparently intends to involve him in whatever childish cannonball game the Potts intend to play.

"I'm gonna chill. You look after them."

Determinedly, Nevada shakes his head. With that he spreads a giant towel onto the sand and lies down, having made his point.

"As you wish."

Caractacus knows better than to object. He shrugs his shoulders and runs after his children, letting out a rather embarrassing howl.

Nevada shakes his head, but he cannot help but smile. A scene like this is what they need after all. He sits down and watches them for a while. It's a whole game of screaming and splashing water into each other's faces that the three people who mean the world to him play.

Once again, Nevada regrets that he quit smoking. A cigar would go well with the atmosphere. And this is how Nevada realizes that he's not as nervous as he thought he'd be. It's just him, Caractacus and the kids. No one is watching them. Maybe Caractacus is right and this trip is not as dangerous as Nevada fears it to be.

"Nevada, come into the water!"

Jemima waves at Nevada with one of her bright smiles on her face, but he just shakes head.

"Nah."

"The water's fantastic, come on!"

"I'm rather sunbathing."

Nevada doesn't look back at them again. He just takes off his white shirt. It wasn't even buttoned up because the weather is nicely warm on this island. He's wearing black swimming shorts, he also decides to not take off his cross. He never does even if the necklace heats up in the sun.

For a while, Nevada listens to the sounds around him. No sound is out of the ordinary. In fact, it's incredibly silent. Maybe it's not as incredible considering the lack of wind and people, but certainly not what he as a New Yorker is used to.

Nevada allows himself to lie back on his back and closes his eyes. He takes a deep breath and smells the salty sea in the air. The sun lays heat onto his face. It feels good but he wonders if he should have used suncream, after all he hasn't spent much time outside in a long time.

And this is when he thinks that the silent weather might be a sign. Because it's so silent that if there was anything out of the ordinary, he'd make it out in a heartbeat. It's as if the world tries to tell him that everything's fine.

And whether he wants to or not, Nevada relaxes. Just like that.

He's about to actually doze off, when Nevada feels something ice cold on his face. It's only a few drops but Nevada's heart skips a beat. In shock, he opens his eyes.

"Jesus fucking Christ!"

Nevada looks into Jeremy's face, grinning widely showing off the gap between his front teeth. Water drops fall from the curls of the boy's hair onto Nevada's chest.

"We're gonna play water-polo, we need a fourth player."

Nevada palms his face and groans.  
"I can't believe you woke me up for that."

"So you're in?"

"Gosh no!"

"Nevada, please!"

"Say please all you want. I'm not playing."

"You're boring."

"I need to get tanned."

"How do we play water-polo with three people?"

"You'll figure something out, mijo."

When Jeremy walks back into the water rather disappointed, Nevada secretly breathes out in relief. He feels tired. Not actually, but inside. It needs to end, Nevada decides quietly and with that along comes the decision to trust Caractacus. They're okay and he'll try to relax.

-

The hours go by quickly with the children running in and out of the water, Nevada chilling and Caractacus taking care of the rest.

Of course, Caractacus has the plan to make this the best picnic ever as this is the first for them as a family. Therefore, he has brought along a small variety of his inventions. All made out of junk and daily products that broke at some point in the house, certainly all inventions are odd looking but fully functional all the same.

As odd as the inventions themselves seem the products they make. Caractacus produces popcorn, cotton candy and BBQ sauce in some of the pots that he brought along. On a small barbecue that works with the help of solar energy ( _"Nevada, sun is what we have most here!"_ ), they roast fish, mango and vegetables. The cooler also works with solar energy. While the children drink soda, Nevada and Caractacus have one of these fruity cocktails with a little umbrella, an umbrella that unlike the normal cocktail decor twirls and thereby keeps the drink cool.

Nevada nearly forgets that they're hiding, the others certainly have.

"But cotton candy is no dessert," Jemima says.

"It's full of sugar, of course it's a dessert," Caractacus answers.

"No, it's not," Nevada agrees.

"Nevada!"

"What? It's not."

"You should be on my side!"

The twins are literally rolling on the floor with laughter. They've been joking around all day, laughing a lot. The kids are at this point where even a tiny poke is enough to burst out laughing. Nevada is afraid that at some point they'll just explode.

"You gave us a five star meal, but for dessert you only have cotton candy?"

Said cotton candy is smeared all across the twin's faces. They're laughing even louder, if that's still possible, watching the grown-ups banter about their own parenting.

"These kids will never go to bed if you give them more sugar!" Caractacus tries to keep a stern expression on his face but the corners of his mouth twist into a tiny smirk.

Nevada understands immediately. "You're right. I didn't think about that. So we better stop eating now and-"

"What?"

"No!"

Immediately the twin's laughter is cut off.

"Are you crazy?"

"You're supposed to be on our side!"

It's now Nevada and Caractacus who cannot keep a straight face. These little disappointed faces are a pure delight. Still, they decide to not mess with them for too long.

"Don't worry, kids, I'm sure your father has something up his sleeves."

With eyes full of hope, the twins turn to look at their father, not daring to ask the actual question.

"Please! Who do you think I am?" Caractacus says and with a grin pulls a small machine with some kind of tab out of one of the bags.

The children cheer up. Nevada doesn't know if they actually know what this particular machine does. But just as them, Nevada can only guess that it produces something sinfully delicious and who is he to say no to a second dessert.

"Is it ice cream, daddy?"

"What flavor?"

But what Nevada enjoys the most are the wrinkles that crackle around Caractacus eyes. _Cute_ , Nevada thinks and doesn't feel sorry for the use of this word that isn't appropriate for a man his age.

"Use the last opportunity to take a swim while I get this going. Sunset is approaching."

Jemima and Jeremy jump to their feet within a second. Nevada thinks about his abuela who has told him on several occasions that you shouldn't swim after eating. Not that this information is of any use in the middle of New York City.

But Nevada guesses that there's no difference between swimming and a good old after dinner walk.

"So you need to come with us this time, Nevada," Jeremy says while Jemima has already pulled him by the wrist.

"No, I don't."

"Why not, you didn't go swimming with us all day!" Jemima complains.

"And there's no such duty to do so."

"Come on, Nevada," Caractacus interjects. "Go with them! You can watch them this time."

"Watch them?"

Nevada feels panic flaring up in his chest. He wishes Caractacus wouldn't ask this of him.

"Yeah, watch them. What's the problem?"

_In the water?_

"I can see them very well from here."

"I can't believe you're this lazy," Caractacus says rolling his eyes.

"What? Do you expect me to rescue them from the water?"

Caractacus looks at him uncomprehendingly.

"I can swim!" Jemima screams.

"Yeah, me too!" Jeremy agrees.

"I know," Nevada sighs. Somehow this makes him feel even more nervous.

"I expect you to just play with them."

"I'm very good at building sand castles."

Nevada has never played with sand in his entire life. But he lies to cover the even bigger truth. _How come he has forgotten about that?_

"We built a four star hotel over there and you didn't help us a bit," Jemima complains and points to a rather primitive sand castle that is already starting to fall apart.

"Huh." Nevada must have been napping while they made this.

"Okay, it's enough," Jeremy says determingly. "Jemima, attack!"

"That's not funny!"

Each child takes him by one wrist and pulls him towards the water. It's not that Nevada couldn't actually get rid of them, he is stronger than two eight year olds but he guesses a point should be made without violence.

"Stop it!"

"The water is so nice, you need to see for yourself," Jemima tries to convince him.

"Didn't you learn that you're supposed to stop if someone says 'no'?"

From the extent of laughter Nevada understands that the twins take the situation much less seriously than he does and this only makes him feel more nervous. The panic has spread into his stomach and the more they approach the water, Nevada wants to hide behind one of these palm trees far away from the beach.

"But you need to watch us," Jeremy answers excitedly.

This is when Nevada decides that the situation has gone too far. He has allowed those kids to joke around with him long enough.

"That's it!"

Nevada is just as surprised as the kids by how strict he sounds. The twins stop short on the spot. Jemima and Jeremy have an abashed look on their faces and immediately mumble a shy "sorry".

It is Nevada who probably feels even more sorry. He has never raised his voice in front of children, especially not those two in front of him and the last thing he wanted was to make them frightened of him.

"Look, you need to listen to me but this came out wrong. I didn't mean to scare you."

Jemima and Jeremy clear their throats, obviously still very cowed by the situation they don't understand. And still with lack of words.

"Hey, Jemima, Jeremy, why don't you just go swimming by yourselves."

Relieved for the way out their father has given them, the twins turn and run into the water right away.

Nevada turns around to find Caractacus having watched the whole scene. A new worry starts to poke him in his stomach as Nevada fears that Caractacus will be angry at him for his little outburst.

"You can have the first cone of ice cream if you want," Caractacus suggests gently. So gently that Nevada can barely hear him over the distance. This in turn makes Nevada feel even more queasy as he now fears the worst: disappointment.

Before he walks back to their spot, Nevada swallows hard. He hears the twins playing in the distance and watches Caractacus fiddling with his portable ice cream machine.

When he arrives Caractacus pushes a cone with a scoop of ice cream in his hand. It's of course his favorite, pistachio.

With a sigh Nevada sits back on the blanket and waits for Caractacus to join him. Caractacus had also fixed himself up with ice cream. It's blue and Nevada doesn't even want to know which flavor that is.

They sit in silence for a while. Licking their ice cream like children and Nevada can't help but notice that it's extremely delicious.

"I'm sorry-"

"Don't!"

"But I am."

"I know but don't be."

"But I-"

"It's okay."

"No, it's-"

"You were just honest."

"But they were scared."

"You showed your feelings. They need to learn how to handle that."

"You're impossible sometimes."

Caractacus looks up to him. Their eyes meet. Nevada studies his green eyes, tries to figure out if he can find any melancholia in there. It isn't until Caractacus smiles that Nevada knows that they're really okay. That's how Nevada always knows.

Relief rushes through him. There's nothing as sweet as relief.

"Nevada, look."

Just when Nevada thought everything is okay, Caractacus says these two words.

"So sincere?"

It isn't like him.

"I'm gonna ask you only once and whatever you say, I will believe you."

"What?"

"Is it possible that you're afraid of water?"

Nevada raises a surprised eyebrow. "You know me that well, ha?"

"So it's true?"

"It could be."

"Because you can't swim?"

"Yeah."

Nevada answers quickly in an attempt to not give himself a chance to lie. It's still not like him to admit shortcomings even if it's ridiculous. He grew up in the Bronx, there was never a need for swimming when he defended himself. Anyhow, he was a drug lord. Not knowing how to swim feels like an unnecessary flaw.

"How come though? Is the American education system that bad?"

"It is to poor people."

The first time Nevada went to Coney Island Beach was when he was seven or eight or maybe he was ten years. For sure he was at an age where he could have been able to swim. Long story short, he didn't admit it and it was a disaster.

He has never _entered_ water again.

"I'm gonna ask you another thing. Just be honest please."

"Oh my God, why are you so dramatic?"

"Is this embarrassing for you?"

Nevada bites his lips.

"In front of them?"

"I'm not embarrassed," Nevada lies.

Allowing Nevada to avoid talking about his fears, Caractacus does him the favor to not ask any further questions. Instead he extends his hand for him and Nevada takes it without thinking.

His hand feels warm in his, giving him as so many times before confidence and warmth. Caractacus squeezes Nevada's hand gently. For a moment, Nevada forgets why he took his hand in the first place.

"You know we could come here without kids and I can try to teach you."

"And leave them alone? Are you crazy?"

"When they have online class."

"And leave them alone!"

"You could also use one of my aquanomic floatable-"

"No!"

"But these-"

"No way!"

"Will you at least-"

"No, I won't."

Caractacus groans but he laughs all the same. "You're impossible!"

"We should rather spend our energy on teaching them self-defense," Nevada says watching the kids.

"No objection there, but look," Caractacus turns towards him and if they both didn't have ice cream he'd probably take his second hand, too. "Everything's fine. We're safe here."

"The day really went well," Nevada admits.

"And you should focus on that."

There it is again. That smile. This smile of Caractacus that makes Nevada believe that the world really is okay.

"I'm trying," Nevada promises.

Caractacus leans forward to initiate a quick kiss. Nevada wishes he'd linger on his lips a little longer.

"Good, but next time we come here I'm gonna try to teach you."

"Again, no."

"Why not?"

"I'm acing sunbathing."

"But you can't not swim, we live on a fucking island!"

"Let's make a deal," Nevada suggests.

"What deal?"

"If you teach me swimming, I teach the kids self-defense, you need to learn something as well."

"I already know everything," Caractacus replies mischievously.

"No, you don't."

"Name one thing I don't know."

"How to dress for example."

"Oh, now you're just being mean."

"It's called being honest."

"Wearing black all the time doesn't mean you know how to dress."

Nevada wants to keep on bickering but he has to laugh. He has to laugh so hard that his precious pistachio ice cream falls into the sand.

It's been a long time that he has felt this way. So unburdened.

Maybe Nevada's gut feeling is wrong this time. Maybe everything is finally good.

**Author's Note:**

> For dramatic reasons I can only reveal the prompt now at the end: Nevada and Caractacus go to the beach with or without kids and may even be afraid of water. Caractacus tries to teach/comfort/distract him.


End file.
